Alzheimer

            Webster's Dictionary defines dementia as a condition of deteriorated mentality. Basically, it is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's Webster's Dictionary defines dementia as a condition of deteriorated mentality. Basically, it is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to perform daily activities. The most common form is Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer's was "once considered a rare disorder, but it is now recognized as a major public health problem having a severe impact on millions of Americans and their families." .
             Alzheimer's disease was named in 1906 when a German physician, Alois Alzheimer, noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness. He fond abnormal clumps and tangled bundles of fibers that are now called amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The causes of Alzheimer's are not fully understood. Changes in nerve endings interfere with normal brain functions. Theories about why these changes occur include: genetics, biochemical imbalance, slow virus, abnormal proteins, and decreased blood and oxygen supply. .
             Symptoms may differ from person to person and day to day. Alzheimer's begins slowly and early signs may go unnoticed. Early symptoms may include: mild forgetfulness, trouble with simple math, shortened attention span, changing or unpredictable moods, changes in sexuality, and diminished or lost sense of smell. In Alzheimer's Early Stages, David Kuhn says that "in addition to persistent loss of recent memory, one or more common symptoms will sometimes be present in early stages." These include reasoning, orientation, language, concentration, spatial relations, and judgment. In later stages of Alzheimer's the symptoms become more intense. There is severe loss of memory and total loss of judgment.